


...and Rayla Makes Three

by FairyLaughing



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Adopted Children, Adoption, Angst, Elves, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 10:21:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22502842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyLaughing/pseuds/FairyLaughing
Summary: The unabridged story of Ethari and Ru'naan of Moonshade village adopting their daughter, Rayla.
Relationships: Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> _“If you’re ever gonna find a silver lining,  
It’s gotta be a cloudy day.  
If you wanna fill your bottle up with lightening,  
You gotta stand in the rain.”  
\--Kacey Musgraves _

**Chapter 1**

Rayla’s parents were dead.

Ru’naan had seen the lilies sink just after nightfall, and he knew that the word would have spread along the grapevine by the time he arrived home from training with the other assassins, though he wasn’t sure whether or not Ethari would have heard of it by the time he got home as he tended to spend all of the night in his forge, tinkering away.

Today Ethari had spent his night, as he had the past week, with an elfling underfoot in the forge, not that he minded overmuch.

“What have you there pipsqueak?” Ru’naan asked as he entered the forge, a low building attached to their home, around midnight, approaching Rayla from behind. The elfling was playing at sword-fighting, stabbing the dull short blade - little more than a dagger - at an imaginary foe in the forge.

“RU!” Rayla, barely four feet of unbridled energy and sweetness, squealed and went to hug him, dropping the blade to the ground with a clatter. “I was practicing, I’m gonna be a great fighter!”

“Of course you are, little one,” Ru’naan laughed, spinning the elfling, and then set Rayla down. “Some day.”

Tonight he noticed that her hair had been braided into dozens of tiny pale plaits, unevenly since it was hard to get her to hold still, but it was very sweet how she tried to imitate the assassin’s braids.

Ethari meanwhile had stood to greet his husband, nuzzling into his side, “Hello darling.”

Ru’naan kissed his lips once, shortly, and then whispered into his curved ear, “We must speak in private.”

Aloud Ru’naan said, “Rayla, why don’t you go into the kitchen and take out the ingredients for supper. Whatever you want for tonight.”

Rayla nodded dutifully, “I’m on it.”

“They’re gone,” Ru’naan said grimly as soon as she’d left. “Her parents fell.”

“What? How?” Ethari turned to his mate, his eyes finding Ru’naans, brow creasing.

“Humans came and they abandoned their post. All of the Dragonguard did.”

“I don’t understand… the Dragonguard abandoned their post? They wouldn’t… ”

“The Dragonguard left their post and the egg was stolen. They’re gone.”

“What about the lilies?” Ethari asked, haltingly.

“All sunk.”

Ethari took a deep breath, rested his head against Ru’naans chest, and sobbed silently.

Rayla had been coming back in to ask if the fish in the icebox was being saved for anything special or if it would be alright for tonight, but when she came back in her long ears twitched, hearing the words “All sunk.”

“Sunk? Gone?” Rayla repeated.

“Oh… oh honey, were going to tell you proper-” Ethari began, brushing his fast flowing tears aside.

“They’re gone as in they’re dead?”

“Rayla,” Ru’naan said firmly. “Let’s go sit down and talk.”

“No!” she screamed, tears already forming. “They can’t be. You’re lying!”

“The lilies,” Ethari said, “Rayla, they’re… well we know that means that they have fallen…”

“You’re wrong!” Rayla ran from the room.

* * *

_ “But I’m not the king. I’m just a prince. My dad is…” _

_ Wait. That’s not what you’re saying… he isn’t. No. No, no, NO!” _

_ “Ezran, it’s going to be okay.” Rayla soothed. _

_ “You knew? Of course you knew! I’m an idiot. I should have figured it out. When we met you, you had two of those assassiny ribbon things, but one of them came off that night.” _

_ “That’s right. That must have been when he fell.” _

_ “ _ Fell? _ ” _

_ “Yes. _

_ “‘Fell’? He didn't  _ fall _ , Rayla. He didn't trip and land on the ground. He got killed!” Ezran paused, gasped, and then asked, “Callum... does he know yet? _

_ “He knows.” _

_ “I'm going for a walk.” Ezran drew himself inside and began to stalk away with determination, a thing Rayla recognized. _

_ “I can't let you go alone,” said Corvus. _

_ “If I am the king, then you have to let me go.” _

_ “You're not my king.” interrupted Rayla, “But you are my friend, and I'm coming with you.” _

_ “Rayla, please. Just let me go be alone. Please.” _

_ Rayla hung her head, knowingly. “Fine.” _

_ Zym tried to follow, but Bait held him back. _

_ Rayla dashed tears from her eyes and turned back to Callum. _

* * *

Ethari sighed and sniffed deeply, rubbing at his reddened eyes. “I suppose we should go after her.” His voice was heavy with grief as he stepped towards the door.

“No,” Ru’naan said, a hand on his shoulder. “She needs to be alone. Give her a little bit of time.”

“Very well.” Ethari said, “But it is awful cold out tonight. And now… now I guess we need to get started on funeral arrangements… although they…”

“They won’t get funerals, not by Moonshadow Elf custom,” Ru’naan shook his head.

“There’s no chance they’re alive?” he asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

“The lilies are sunk.”

“Fuck.”

“I know love,” Ru’naan held him closer. “But we need to talk about something else.”

“War?” Ethari asked. His voice held a heaviness, a world-weariness, a deep despair that Ru’naan wished he could erase forever, that he wished his mate never had encountered, and never would again, but he was not so naïve to think he could prevent it, or even properly soothe it.

“Not that. Not yet at least. Let’s go sit in the kitchen.”

“Very well.”

Ru’naan quickly made a pot of the tea that Ethari liked to drink before bed: a blend of journeyleaf, moonberry flower, and that sweet spice from Lux Aurea… cinnamon? He added plenty of cream to the mug that he pressed into Ethari’s trembling hands.

Ethari breathed in the steam, unable to sip just yet of the hot liquid. His clear eyes turned to his husband, sharpened by the familiar smell and a few deep breaths. “So?”

“I know you’ve wanted… we have spoken about it, before today, but. Well. I know you wanted a baby.” Ru’naan was typically cryptic.

“Well, yeah, I love babies.” Ethari sniffled. He wasn’t sure exactly what Ru’naan was saying yet, but played along.

“And children?” Ru’naan asked, turning his gaze up from his own mug at last. His gaze met Ethari’s, burning with unanswered questions.

“I like children too, of course, but why do you ask?”

“Rayla is alone now.” Ru’naan said, “You must realize?”

“Oh Ru…” Ethari broke into his mates arms with sound that was a cross between a laugh and a sob, “Ru’naan, of course I would… if we need to… are her parents for certain gone?”

Ru’naan crossed his arms across his chest and nodded solemnly.

“My love,” Ethari stood up, resting his hand between Ru’naans shoulder blades, pressing down with determination, “I would adopt Rayla in a heartbeat, you know that.”

“Even though you’d prefer a baby?” Ru’naan asked.   
“Yes.”

“Even though you’d have preferred a son?”

“You know that doesn’t matter.”

“Even though she will clearly never be a decent smith?” Ru’naan’s gaze went to poorly made bracelet Ethari wore around his wrist, a gift from Rayla.

“Well,” Ethari raised his wrist to look at it and laughed. “She tries hard, and she might improve someday.”

Ru’naan laughed, drawing his husband into his arms upon his chair. Ethari straddled him, long legs wrapped around his husband’s hips, resting his chin on Ru’naan’s shoulder.

“I think,” Ethari said slowly, “She might be more likely to take after you. She does like blades, and she is very fast.”

“Perhaps,” Ru’naan said, drawing back a bit so as to examine his lovers face, trying to discern if what he was saying he wanted was the truth. “So you want to adopt her?”

“I do.” Ethari said, nodding decisively.

Should we go find her?”

“I’d like to give her a little more time to process.” Ethari said, “She is young and… just now her parents... she needs to be with her own thoughts.”

“Understood,” Ru’naan said. “A wise parenting move, I think. I will make dinner. After dinner we will go looking.”

Ethari nodded.

It was nearing dawn and they’d yet to find the elfling, though they’d been searching for hours. The moon was but a tiny waxing crescent and gave little light as they searched the surrounding area, although the sky was beginning to lighten in the East.

“Where can that brat have got to?” Ru’naan asked, drawing his cloak nearer. The snow was falling fast and thick.

“I…” Ethari thought hard. “I think I might know… there’s this field at the edge of town where I’ve seen her playing with the adoraburs.”

“Adora-whats?”

“Burrs, but they’re squeaky and tiny and… this way Ru!” Ethari grasped his husband by the hand and led him towards the fields on the borders of the village.

Ru’naan crossed his arms across his chest; there was no sign of Rayla anywhere and it was freezing cold.

“She must be about somewhere… RAYLA!” Ethari called; he’d been calling all night and his voice was starting to go hoarse.

“She must have gone home by now…” Ru’naan eventually said. “We should check elsewhere.”

“I think she’s somewhere outside.” Ethari said, “We need to find Rayla, before she freezes out here.”

“She’s probably holed up sensibly somewhere for the night, not like us idiots.”

“Oh! Of course!” Ethari grasped his husband’s hand and again dragged him away, tugging him at breakneck speed up a snowy hillside.

They trudged through the growing snow drifts, making deep trenches up a small hill, to a large tree. At the base a collection of fallen snow marked an opening that Ethari quickly knocked aside to enter. Ru’naan, reluctant to go into a colder, darker, hole, followed slowly.

“Rayla!” Ethari cried, wrapping his arms about the trembling elfling tucked into the tree’s cosy hollow.

“Eth-ethari?” her tiny voice asked.

“Yes child, I am here. Ru’naan is too.”

“Hello,” Ru’naan said, awkwardly bending his body into the cramped space.

Rayla sniffled and looked to Ru’naan, “Is it true.”

“I…” Ru’naan glanced at his husband, “Yes. It’s true. I’m sorry.”

“Rayla I’m so sorry darling,” Ethari held her tightly.

“Come home and we can talk more,” Ru’naan said. “Where it’s warm.”

It was a quiet walk back to their home, trudging through deep snow. Eventually Ru’naan lifted the weary Rayla onto his shoulders, piggy-back style, where she could rest her head on his shoulder. Ethari followed close beside, holding Rayla’s hand loosely and not losing contact with her. The sun was fully risen by the time they got home, although it was hard to see for the thick clouds and fast falling snow.

Once home Rayla, boneless and half-asleep, was put into their own bed, between Ru’naan and Ethari, where she would be the warmest.

“She’s still so cold,” Ethari said, resting his hand lightly on Rayla’s tiny bare shoulder. She was now clad in her simple purple sleep gown and nestled between them, exhausted from crying and quickly falling into a deep sleep.

Ru’naan lifted the blankets to cover Rayla, and Ethari. He looked to his husband, over the top of the hair of the dozing elfling, “So you’ll accept her as our daughter?”

“Of course, of course. Only… I don’t… it’s not out of pity or anything.” Ethari said, “I wanted a child, and what a better one than this? She’s sweet, brave, honest… I think she’ll be a wonderful addition to our family.”

“Good, I think so too.” Ru’naan reached out and clasped Ethari’s hand across the blankets. “She reminds me of her parents, I want to honour their memory.”

“She is her own person though, you know that right?” Ethari whispered.

“Of course… I just can’t help but see a lot of her parents in her.”

“Parents which she is without now.”

Ru’naan sighed deeply, “We will help. She will grieve, but she will recover. We all will.”

“I love you,” Ethari said, with his eyes and voice as he could not reach his husband’s lips for a kiss over the pale hair of the elfling between them. His eyes and voice where enough, and Ru’naan heard him clearly.

Ru’naan smiled and squeezed Ethari’s hand across the bed tightly, “Love you too.”


	2. two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Woke up on the wrong side of rock bottom  
You're all out of pennies and the well it done run dry  
You'd light 'em up and smoke 'em if you had 'em  
But you just ain't got 'em...  
Yeah, ain't we always looking for a bluer sky?_  
-Kacey Musgraves, "Silver Lining"

“Hey beautiful,” Ethari turned over to snuggle into his husband’s arms.

“Hey… did we…” Ru’naan looked around their room, “Is it just me, or did we just adopt a child last night.”

“Oh. Oh shit yeah. I guess we did.” Ethari sat up, his hair a tangled mess around his horns. “Where is she?”

“Hey…” Rayla said quietly from the doorway, “I had to go to the bathroom.”

“Come on back in child,” Ethari said, holding up the covers.

Rayla slowly wiggled back into the bed, snuggling into the hollow where she’d been laying all day so far. She sniffled and seemed to be trying not to cry.

“What’s going to happen to me now?” she asked in a small, quivering voice.

“Well, we’ll speak with your auntie, and, provided she’s amenable to it, and I think she will be since she already has many children, Ethari and I want to adopt you.” It wast the gentlest Ethari had heard Ru’naan speak in ages.

“Do you want us to adopt you?” Ethari asked. “Do you want to live with us?”

Rayla paused for an interminably long moment before saying: “I think I’d like that.”

“Wonderful!” Ethari declared, “Can I… can we hug you?”

Rayla nodded slowly and Ethari wrapped his arms around her, holding her close against his chest. Ru’naan put his arms around the both of them, gazing at Ethari lovingly over Rayla’s head. After a few seconds they pulled away. Someone’s stomach grumbled and Ethari chuckled. “I’ll get up and make us some breakfast.”

While Ethari puttered about the kitchen Ru’naan nestled back into his bed for a few more moments of rest; they’d been up long past daybreak, when they’d usually go to bed, and it wasn’t even afternoon yet, when they would typically wake up. He wanted a little more sleep, and he was certain that the elfling needed more given her previous night. Rayla passed out almost immediately and Ru’naan stroked her hair while she began to fall back asleep. He joined her soon after.

Not long after falling back asleep Ru’naan was awoken again by Ethari with a tray containing three bowls of porridge dotted with berries, two steaming cups of tea, a cup of pressed juice, and all the cutlery required. He set this on the bedside table, sat on the edge of the bed, and then kissed Ru’naan’s cheek and brushed Rayla’s hair out of her face. His hand paused over her forehead and he pressed the back of his hand against it with a frown. Ru’naan woke up with a yawn. “Something wrong?”

“She’s awfully warm.”

“We’ve been sleeping,” Ru’naan reasoned, reaching out to press his own hand to Rayla’s cheek; Ethari wasn’t wrong, the elfling was hot to the touch, but he wasn’t sure if that was normal or not, he seemed to recall that younglings ran warm normally. “Hm. Let’s keep an eye on it.”

Rayla woke up with a sharp inhale and sat up rapidly, blinking. She seemed to take a moment to realize where she was before frowning. “Oh. I thought maybe… maybe it’d been a dream.”

“I am sorry child,” Ethari said, sincerely.

“It’s okay,” she stretched.

“I have breakfast for us.” Ethari said, “We can eat in bed.”

“That sounds nice,” Rayla said.

They all sat cross-legged, partly covered still with the blankets, and Ru’naan gave them each a bowl and set the tray in between with their drinks.

“Eat up,” Ethari encouraged. “Ru makes great moonberry porridge.”

Rayla did so; she was hungry after skipping supper the previous night. “I don’t usually like porridge, but this is pretty good.”

“There’s juice for you too.”

“Thank you! I usually have tea.”

“Oh, your parents let you drink tea?”

“Of course,” Rayla said. “With lots of honey.”

“You can have some of mine,” Ethari said with a smile. “I like a lot of honey too.”

“Thank you.”

Rayla finished nearly all of her porridge, all of her juice, and a bit of Ethari’s tea, before she was nodding off again. Ethari took the bowl before she could fall asleep into it, and slid her back into the bed, pulling the covers up high to her chin.

“I need to go to the forge, I have orders to fill due today.”

“I can stay with her,” Ru’naan said. “There is a day of mourning and so we have no training.”

“I will speak with Karlianna today, then perhaps invite her over?”

“Yes, she should visit... once Rayla’s had a good rest.”

“I’d better start getting ready then.”

Ethari approached the large treehouse with trepidation. He didn’t know Karlianna too well, though she was near his age and they had many mutual friends. When she was young she’d gone to a neighbouring Moon Shadow village and met her husband there, and returned with him and her brother - her brother who had been Rayla’s father.

He knocked and a voice called, “Come in!”

Ethari entered the warm, loud, kitchen with a small wave.

“Ethari! Welcome.” Karlianna was a short, fair-skinned elf, her long hair piled into a tight bun atop her head, and her cheek marks glowing with energy. She seemed to be in the middle of washing dishes, cooking, and assisting an elfling at the table with his books. A sleeping infant was swaddled in a cradle near the stove, and Ethari was slightly taken aback when he noticed that she was swelling again in the middle.

“I’m sorry, is this a bad time? Are you busy?”

“I’m always busy,” she said.

Turning to the elfling at the table she nodded, “You can go play with your sister, but be good about it.”

Ethari was served tea and cake in quick order and Karlianna joined him, sitting with a sigh and rubbing her pregnant belly.

“I suppose I know why you’re here. We can of course make room, it’ll be a stretch but…”

“Actually,” Ethari said. “Ru’naan and I were discussing it, and, well, if it’s alright with you, and with the rest of the family…” he began to stutter, but then at last said it, aware of the weight of his words. “We want to adopt Rayla.”

“Well now…” Karlianna said, seeming to think about it hard. “It would be a relief, especially with baby number four on the way, and I don’t imagine anyone else would have any protest… you aren’t doing it out of some sort of misplaced guilt or anything are you?”

“No, no… I… we… We were thinking about adopting a child anyway, we originally wanted a baby, but we’ve been caring for her and she’s grown on us.”

Karlianna nodded thoughtfully, and then a large smile spread over her face. “That’s wonderful! Of course I support it, but you know it’ll be hard for the first little while. She’ll be grieving fiercely.”

“We know,” Ethari said. “I know you’ll want to speak with Ru’naan too, I just wanted to let you know our intentions. We’ll have to arrange to retrieve her things, and any… mementoes she might want from their home.”

“Naturally,” Karlianna said, “Today?”

“She’s with Ru’naan, sleeping in. She was up late, she’s been very… upset. Also I suspect that she might be catching a fever.”

“Elflings catch ill easily, and the stress of something like this would kick down her defenses.”

Ethari sighed, “Guess we shouldn’t have let her cry it out in the snowy woods last night.”

Karlianna shrugged, “It is more likely grief that caused it than cold. Besides, Rayla is… that one’s a bit of a wild child, not much you can do to keep her inside if she doesn’t want to be inside. I can stop by later on to check on her, if you like.”

“I think she would appreciate the visit, Ru’naan and I certainly would. I need to get to the forge now, but I will be home before midnight.”

She nodded. “I will see you then.”

“Join us for dinner?”

“Oh yes please, anything I didn’t cook myself!”

When Ru’naan had enough sleep he got up again and went about moving around the house, cleaning, reading, and otherwise keeping himself occupied, but nearby, while Rayla finished sleeping. She woke a couple of hours later, in the late afternoon, and Ru’naan was ready to feed her again.

“M’kay, I’ll go to the table though,” Rayla murmured, sounding sleepy still, despite the immense amount of sleep she’d had. She shivered slightly when she stood and Ru’naan approached to again test for her temperature, pressing his fingers to her forehead; she was still warmer than he thought was normal, but he couldn’t be sure. She gave him a wary look at the touch.

“How do you feel?”

“I’m okay,” she shrugged, although Ru’naan thought her voice sounded congested.

“Do you think that you are catching ill?”

“No. It’s just cold in here.”

“Hmm,” Ru’naan made a disappointed sound and pulled one of Ethari’s cosy sweaters over Rayla’s nightgown.

Rayla ate quietly before she went to dress normally and then see as to what Ru’naan was doing. He was just about to go to the stable to muck-out the stalls of their mounts, pulling on his winter gear.

“I can help.” Rayla said.

“I think you should stay inside.”

“I don’t want to.”

“You need to rest, you had a long day yesterday.”

Rayla scowled, then pouted, and then said, ever so quietly, “I don’t want to be alone.”

Ru’naan hadn’t thought about that. “You can come with me, but you need to dress warm, and you’re just going to watch, okay?”

Rayla nodded and got one of Ethari’s thick winter cloaks. Ru’naan added a scarf, mittens, and hat over top of that, much to Rayla’s annoyance. She followed him out to the stable where their two moon mounts rested. They bleated in happiness upon seeing Ru’naan. Rayla gleefully petted them and fed them treats. He broke the ice off the tops of their water troughs, refilled their hay, and began shovelling out their waste, all the while Rayla perched on the side of the enclosure. By the time he finished she sat silently, unusually quiet. When Ru’naan finally looked up he noticed her eyes looked glassy and unfocused.

“Rayla?”

She shook herself out of it with a cough, “Yes. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” Ru’naan smiled, recognizing she was lost in thought, “Let’s go back in, Ethari will be home soon.”

They made tea to drink while they cooked dinner together, Rayla helping with the cooking.

“It smells absolutely heavenly in here, my loves!” Ethari said upon entering. He hung up his cloak and removed his boots at the door before heading in to give Ru’naan a deep kiss. “I do enjoy it when you’re home before I am.”

“Well, I am by far the better cook.”

“And it looks like you had help,” he said, winking at Rayla.

“Indeed, she’s been of great assistance today.”

“We’re making fish and roasted squash,” she said, smiling proudly.

“I am sure it’ll be wonderful. I hope you made a little extra, your auntie Karlianna will be stopping by.”

“With my cousins?” Rayla asked.

“Just your auntie today.”

“Alright.” Rayla actually didn’t seem too disappointed; the fun of having her younger cousins underfoot was typically welcome, but at the moment she probably wasn’t up for it given what had just happened and would prefer some comfort from her aunt alone. She quite suddenly broke into a harsh coughing fit, smothering it with her fist.

“Are you alright?” Ethari asked.

“I’m fine.” Rayla said grumpily.

“That cough has been growing all day,” Ru’naan said, “And I think you have a touch of fever.”

“Oh dear,” Ethari said, pressing his hand to her forehead to check for himself.

She swatted him away, “Your hands are cold from being outside.”

“We’ll see what your auntie says.”

A knock at the door sounded and Ru’naan went to let in Karlianna. The elf arrived without any of her children (save the one inside of her womb), having left them with her husband, and seemed relieved to be free of them, although her demeanor was solemn as she was visiting to speak on difficult affairs.

“Rayla, child,” she embraced her niece, kissing the top of her head. “I am so sorry my dear. It’s still such a shock. You must be hurting so bad.”

Rayla nodded, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

Karlianna was not one to beat around the bush.

“I have heard that Ru’naan and Ethari want to adopt you. Is this what you want?”

She looked from one to the other, and then nodded solemnly.

“I need to hear it aloud, for legal reasons.”

“I want them to adopt me, yes.”

“Good, good. I will do up the paperwork later.” Karlianna, Rayla then remembered, was a member of the council, and able to work out such legal proceedings. “I wanted to check that it was indeed what you want and see how you are doing. You must still be so overwhelmed.”

“I don’t understa-” Rayla paused, “I don’t understand what happened. My parents wouldn’t just abandon their post… they wouldn’t do that. They just wouldn’t!”

“We can’t have known what happened, darling child, who knows what went on in those last moments? They could have been driven away with a spell by the human warlock, or something worse.”

Rayla began to cry in earnest now, sobbing openly.  
“Oh. Oh no, I shouldn’t have… I’m so, so sorry, child.” Karlianna opened her arms and Rayla went to her, pressing as close to her aunt as she could around the pregnant belly. “Shh, shh.” Karlianna stroked the girls hair and held her tightly, even as Rayla’s desperate sobs turned into wracking coughs.

She pulled away a moment later and Ethari was ready with a glass of water for her to sip and a handkerchief to wipe her streaming eyes and nose with.

Karlianna frowned at Rayla’s red cheeks and felt her forehead, tutting, “You’ve a fever for sure.”

“I feel bad,” she said in a tiny voice.

“Don’t you worry Rayla,” Ethari said. “We’ve got you.”

“We’re here for you.” Ru’naan promised.

Rayla was put to bed early despite her protests of not being tired. Her aunt had visited for dinner, and then left with strict instructions for her to get rest, keep warm, and take in plenty of liquids. Karlianna was a council member, but also an experienced mother, and had a great deal of common sense advice for Ethari and Ru’naan about how to care for Rayla at this moment. Her body needed to be kept warm and fed, but more importantly her emotions were a roiling, stormy sea. She needed comfort and firmness, and although on their own neither Ethari nor Ru’naan were up to the task, they felt that together, they could provide.

**Author's Note:**

> Breaking into a new fandom with fluff and nonsense like you don't know me.  
Smash that kudos button or comment.


End file.
